Interlocking culvert-block.



F. S. WENDELKEN.

memocxm cuLvERT BLOCK.

AFPLICATION FILED JAN. 30,1918

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

2 mf. o7

Afro

F. S. WENDELKEN.

INTERLOCKING CULVERT BLOCK.

APPLICAUUN HLEU IAN. 30. 1918.

Patented Apr. l5, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 NVENTOR. Fig/HM J. wtf/1M ATT N151 UNITED sTATEs PATENToEEIoE.

FREDERICK S. WENDELKEN, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

INTERLOCKING CULVEBT-BLOCK.

Application iiled January 30, 1918.

ToaZZ 'whom t may concern Be it kno-wn that I, FREDERICK S. WEN- DELKEN,a citizen of the United States. residing in the cit and county of Denverand State of Colora o, have invented a new and useful Improvement inInterlocking (lul- Vert-Blocks, of which the following` is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements` in blocks for the construction ofculverts or other conduits, and the objects are to provide units thatmay be made in a permanent plant equipped with suitable machinery orforms in portable sizes, and which may be easily assembled in aIculvert, bridge or other structure. Also to provide blocks that willinterlock without the use of bolts or other ties forming a stable anddurable conduit with units held in strict alinement, and allow quick andeas repair or extension. Also to provide a cu vert from which the top orupper sections mayT be easily removed if desired without disturbingother units in the culvert. The invention is adapted especially toconcrete or other plastic blocks, and the use of such material ispreferable, but other material, such as metal, may be used, as willappear.

Forms of construction according to my invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side view of a section of culvert constructed ofreinforced concrete units according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective end v'iew of the culvert looking from the leftof Fig. 1.

FFig. 3 is a cross-section on line A-B of Fig. 4 is a plan or top viewof the base or bottom series of units of a culvert with the to or upperseries removed.

iF 5 is anenlarged perspective view of a unit lock.

Fig. 6 indicates the manner of assembling a culvert, showing inperspective two blocks in place to form the base or bottom portion of aculvert section, and in dotted lines the position of a top section inlace.

Fig is a `l'ierspective view of an assem- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

serial No. 214,437.

bled culvert with end wall blocks. This figure shows the base or bottomunits of greater depth than the top sections.

Fig. 8 indicates in perspective the manner ili vhich the units may belifted and hanc e F ig. 9 suggests the manner of applying the inventionto cast iron or other metallic blocks.

Throughout the several figures in the drawings the same referencenumerals and letters refer to the same or like parts.

The unit blocks are formed with a base or body l and are substantiallyU-shaped in cross section, having sides 2 and 3 perpendicular to thebody or base 1 and also perpendicular to the ends 10 and 11 of theblock.

The edges of the sides 2 and 3 are grooved or mortised as shown toprovide the interlocking feature of the units. The grooves or mortisesare intermediate of the block ends and are made with floors parallel tothe plane of the base of the block and with walls diagonal to the sidesand ends of the block. The mortises in the two opposite sides aredisposed at opposite diagonals, thus the mortise 4 in side 2 as at adiagonal opposite to that of mortise 5 in the other side 3. 6 and 8 areresulting` tenons or projecting members at the ends of side 2, and 7 and9 are similar but oppositely faced tenons at the ends of the oppositeslde 3. The diagonal faces of the tenons, forming the walls of themortises, are perpendicular to the base and diagonal to the sides andends of the block. The two tenons and the mortise at a side of the blockare complementary in that the Width of the mortise longitudinally of theblock is equal to the combined longitudinalV width of the two resultingtenons. Thus when the units are assembled in reversed and staggeredrelation as in Fig. 1, two tenons of adjacent units will exactly fit ina mortise of a unit in the reversed series, as will appear hereinafter.

10 and 11 are the respective ends of a unit block.

12 are. recesses or holes in the outside of the blocks for insertingsuitable tools, such as tongs 15 or merely a bolt 14, for lifting andhandling concrete blocks.

A culvert or other conduit is assembled by placing a series of units inlongitudinal alinement with sides turned upward, thc end 10 of oneadjoining end 11. of the adjacent block, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. Thisseries forms the abutment or bottom of the culvert,

'and the top is formed by a similar series ot units reversed or havinthe sides tui-nod downward. The units o the top are assem bled instaggered relation with reference -to those of the bottoni and overlapand rest upon adjacent blocks of the bottom series, as indicated in Fig.6, and in Fig. 1. Thus the mortise 5 of a top block fits over tenons 6and 8 of adjacent blocks in the bottom series, and mortise 4 of a topblock locks tenons 7 and 9 of adjacent bottom blocks. The next top blockplaced fits snugly against the adjacent top block already set, and so onthroughout the length of the conduit.

In order to make the ends of a culvert flush half blocks X are provided.And any suitable or desired end block or wall M may be placed at theends of the culvert.

It will be seen that the dove-tail 'oint thus made between the bottomunits an the top or capping units securely interlocks the units in anassembled structure from longitudinal movement or displacement, eachblock in a series locking two blocks in the opposing or reversed seriesof blocks. And the opposite diagonal construction or mortise and tenonsat opposite sides of the blocks securely nterlocks the units fromlateral movement or displacement. And yet, any one or more top or caping blocks may be lifted upward out of tliie series without disturbingother units of the culvert.

In the constructions illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, the bottomblocks or units and the top blocks or units are identical in size andshape, a top block being turned upside down with reference to the bottomunits. It is often desirable, however, to have the bottom blocks deeperthan the capping blocks so as to bring the longitudinally staggeredjoints higher in the culvert and above the usual water line. This is esecially true in the case of culverts intende to carry large heads ofwater where the danger of leakage through the joints is considerable. Insuch case the bottom blocks are constructed the same except that thesides, as shown at .2 in Fig. 7, are wider or deeper, the mortising ofthe sides beingthe same.

It is apparent that other shapes of blocks than those shown may beprovided; and the sizes are determined by the use to which they are tobe put. In the case of concrete units, the blocks are molded in forms,laclng any desired reinforcement 13 in the y and walls. Any suitableforms may be used in molding these blocks, although I have special formswhich form the subJect matter of another application for Letters Patent.

While the invention is particularly applicable and primarily intendedfor concrete culverts, it is well adapted to cast iron or other metal.Fig. 9 indicates a construction as applied to cast iron units. The shapeof the body l and sides 2 and 3 are similar to the concreteconstruction. A strengthening rib 16 may be provided to allow strengthwithout excessive weight or cost. To make the interlocking positive thetenons, 6, 7, 8, and 9, are extended outward in form of flanges toprovide a wider diagonal interlockin area.

It should be noted that t e removable to or cap is particularlydesirable in street ou vert-s or in any place where the conduit is aptto become clogged with debris or ice. In case of Stoppa e any one ormore top units may be lifte out, the debris removed, and the unit againset in place. The interstices between units may be lled with cement orother material.

I claim:

1. A block of substantially a U-shaped cross section having the edges ofthe two sides mortised oppositely diagonal to the block ends and sidesand with mortise Hoors parallel to the base of the block, substantiallyas described.

Q. A block of substantially a U-shaped cross section rovided withinterlocln'ng devices at the e ges of the two sides consisting ofdiagonal mortises intermediate of the block ends and resultingcomplementary tenons, the diagonal walls of said mortises in theopposite sides being perpendicular to the base of the block and at oposite diagonals to the ends and sides of t e block, substantially asdescribed.

3. A culvert block of substantially U- shaped cross section having theedges of the two sides oppositely diagonally grooved parallel to theplane of the base of the block foi-min diagonal mortises intermediate ofthe en s of the sides and resulting tenons at each side ot saidmortises, the combined longitudinal width of the tenons being equal tothe longitudinal width of the intermediate mortise.

4. A block having mortises and tenons adapted to interlock with a seriesof similar blocks reversed and longitudinally alined, the interlockingfaces of said tenons'being disposed perpendicular to the base of theblock and diagonal to the ends and sides of the block to prevent lateralor longitudinal displacement of a block in the series, substantiall asdescribed.

5. Cu vert blocks of substantially U- shaped cross section adapted tobe'assembled in two longitudinally alined series, one series with Sidesextending upward and the other series with sides extending downward andresting upon said first series forming a. conduit7 lthe edges of thesides of said blocks being mortised and tenoned to interlock indove-tail joints, the interlocking faces of said tenons being disposedperpendioular to the base of the blocks and at opposite diagonals to thesides and ends of the loiockfI to prevent lateral or longitudinaldisplacement of any block in the series, substantially as described.

FREDERICK S. WENDELKEN.

Witnesses:

HENRY S. ENGLE, W. J. MoPHnRsoN.

Sopies ot this patent my be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner ot Patents, Washington, Il?` 0.

